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This resistance isn't broadcast, though it may feature webbed feet and large eyes.

Additionally, it could include the horn of a unicorn or the plumage of a chicken.

As rallies against the administration continue in US cities, demonstrators are adopting the vibe of a community costume parade. They've offered salsa lessons, distributed treats, and ridden unicycles, while police observe.

Mixing levity and political action – a tactic social scientists term "tactical frivolity" – isn't novel. However, it has emerged as a hallmark of US demonstrations in this period, embraced by various groups.

A specific icon has emerged as notably significant – the frog. It originated when video footage of a confrontation between an individual in a frog suit and immigration enforcement agents in Portland, Oregon, became an internet sensation. From there, it proliferated to protests nationwide.

"There's a lot going on with that small blow-up amphibian," says an expert, a professor at University of California, Davis and an academic who studies political performance.

From Pepe to Portland

It is difficult to talk about demonstrations and amphibians without mentioning Pepe, an illustrated figure co-opted by extremist movements throughout a previous presidential campaign.

As the meme initially spread on the internet, its purpose was to signal specific feelings. Afterwards, it was deployed to express backing for a political figure, even one notable meme shared by that figure himself, depicting the frog with a signature suit and hair.

Images also circulated in certain internet forums in offensive ways, portrayed as a historical dictator. Users traded "rare Pepes" and established digital currency using its likeness. His catchphrase, "feels good, man", was deployed a coded signal.

Yet Pepe didn't start out this divisive.

The artist behind it, artist Matt Furie, has stated about his unhappiness for how the image has been used. His creation was meant as simply a relaxed amphibian in this artist's universe.

This character first appeared in a series of comics in 2005 – apolitical and famous for a particular bathroom habit. In a documentary, which documents Mr Furie's efforts to wrest back control of his work, he stated the character came from his time with companions.

Early in his career, Mr Furie tried uploading his work to new websites, where other users began to copy, alter, and reinterpret his character. When the meme proliferated into the more extreme corners of online spaces, the creator tried to disavow the frog, even killing him off in a final panel.

But Pepe lived on.

"This demonstrates that we don't control icons," states the professor. "They transform and be repurposed."

Until recently, the association of this meme meant that amphibian imagery became a symbol for conservative politics. A transformation occurred in early October, when a confrontation between a protestor dressed in a blow-up amphibian suit and an immigration officer in Portland spread rapidly online.

The moment occurred shortly after a decision to deploy the National Guard to the city, which was called "a warzone". Activists began to assemble in large numbers at a specific location, near a federal building.

Tensions were high and an agent sprayed pepper spray at a protester, aiming directly into the air intake fan of the puffy frog costume.

Seth Todd, Seth Todd, reacted humorously, stating he had tasted "something milder". Yet the footage became a sensation.

Mr Todd's attire fit right in for the city, renowned for its quirky culture and activist demonstrations that revel in the unusual – outdoor exercise, 80s-style aerobics lessons, and nude cycling groups. Its creed is "Keep Portland Weird."

The frog even played a role in subsequent court proceedings between the administration and the city, which contended the use of troops was unlawful.

While a judge decided that month that the administration had the right to deploy troops, a minority opinion disagreed, noting in her opinion the protesters' "well-known penchant for using unusual attire while voicing their disagreement."

"Observers may be tempted this decision, which accepts the government's characterization as a war zone, as simply ridiculous," the dissenting judge opined. "Yet the outcome goes beyond absurdity."

The deployment was "permanently" blocked soon after, and personnel are said to have left the area.

However, by that time, the amphibian costume was now a potent anti-administration symbol for progressive movements.

This symbol appeared across the country at anti-authoritarian protests that fall. Frogs appeared – along with other creatures – in major US cities. They appeared in rural communities and global metropolises abroad.

This item was sold out on online retailers, and saw its cost increase.

Mastering the Optics

What connects the two amphibian symbols – lies in the dynamic between the humorous, benign cartoon and serious intent. Experts call this "tactical frivolity."

This approach is based on what Mr Bogad calls a "disarming display" – often silly, it acts as a "appealing and non-threatening" act that highlights your ideas without obviously explaining them. This is the unusual prop you wear, or the symbol you share.

Mr Bogad is both an expert on this topic and an experienced participant. He's written a book on the subject, and led seminars internationally.

"One can look back to the Middle Ages – when people are dominated, they use absurdity to express dissent indirectly and while maintaining a layer of protection."

The purpose of such tactics is three-fold, Mr Bogad says.

As activists take on a powerful opposition, a silly costume {takes control of|seizes|influences